Rare 1953 Glendale Meats Art Houtteman

Graded VG 3 by PSA. The Art Houtteman card is extremely rare in any condition, and is legendary for being one of the great regional-issue rarities of the era. In the early days of the organized hobby, Houtteman may have had a higher profile than today. It has always been recognized as a very rare card. For a Glendale collector, Houtteman is sort of like the "T206 Wagner of the Glendale Meats set." While the cause of its rarity is the subject of speculation, it is almost certain that Houtteman was intentionally short printed and that this short printing relates directly to the Glendale contest offer presented on the back of each card ("First Prize: Trip for 2 to World Series"). Because of their method of issue, when they are found, Glendales are almost always in very low grade. This is a very clean example for this set but does have a few flaws that are typical of Glendales. The card is bright and clean, with even wear on the corners (more wear on the lower right), a few light surface wrinkles, and is centered towards the bottom right. The reverse is fairly clean. This is a technically mid-grade but still very attractive example of legendary regional rarity Art Houtteman. Reserve $500. Estimate $1,000+. SOLD FOR $4,444

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